Haute Route Alps 2021 Race Report

Iseran, Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Bonette. Names that resonate in any cyclist’s mind. These are the ones I rode this week on the Haute Route Alps. An edition now connecting Megève (no longer Geneva) to Nice, in six stages plus a mountain time trial, with 800 km and 20,000 m of elevation gain. This characterizes the stage race as one of the most difficult in the world.

The competitors, just over 400, came from all over the world. We find riders from Dubai or Canada. A great diversity, which also makes this event a richness in itself. Let’s briefly review each stage where I will tell you about my experience.

The first stage is a loop around Megève. It starts with the Col des Aravis then the Colombière-Col de Romme sequence. This is where the first timed section ends before a neutralization until the final climb to the Megève Altiport, via the Cordon road. I lose a lot of time in the descent of the Col de la Colombière, which will be detrimental to me in this first timed part. Two short minutes. Then I follow up with a slow puncture during the crossing of Megève, but I manage to gain a minute on the climb to the Altiport. In front, two men break away: Pipo Garnero and Loïc Ruffaut, who will be a cut above all week.

The second stage connects Megève to Tignes via the Cols des Saisies and the Cormet de Roseland then the climb to Tignes. In the first climb, I manage to hang on to Loïc and Pipo, but in the descent, a bit mentally blocked, I get dropped, then caught and left behind by the chasing group. I come back to the foot of the Roseland climb and keep contact with the group. I then manage to gain a minute on the end of the Tignes climb, where the Tour de France riders were supposed to finish the stage in 2019. On this stage, Loïc takes back the leader’s jersey.

Then it’s the Queen stage the next day: neutralized start until Val-d’Isère, then we follow with the Col de l’Iseran where the descent is neutralized. A bit sluggish at the start of this stage, I concede about ten seconds, before a long, nervous valley to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, and we attack the Télégraphe-Galibier sequence. I go alone, and I manage to take up to seven minutes ahead of my direct pursuer and thus move up to third place in the general classification.

Alpe d’Huez time trial as the fourth stage. I finish in fifth place and lose two minutes to my competitor but I still have a cushion of 2’15 ahead.

To get to Briançon, we have a short and nervous stage. Starting from Bourg-d’Oisans, we tackle the Lautaret. I attack immediately, perhaps a bit wrongly. At the summit of the pass, four of us go over, the first four in the general classification. At Lantin du Granon, I let the first three go and set my own pace. I then catch up with the third rider 3 km from the summit. But he sprints past me at the finish to gain about ten seconds.

The next day, a very difficult stage with the finish in Auron. A first part to Guillestre with small climbs. Then the Col de Vars, and finally the roof of this Haute Route: the Bonette, still as magnificent… I ride a bit too hard, and my opponent manages to gain time on me in the Bonette. 1’30. I then only have 30 seconds left in Auron where I completely lose my footing. I am fourth, one minute behind in the general classification.

Last stage: another difficult stage with the Col de la Couillole. I attack even before it, but my opponent’s teammates organize themselves. And they catch me at the bottom. The race is a bit crazy. We find ourselves about twenty seconds behind the first two at the summit of the pass. The battle will continue throughout the stage. I manage to break away and gain a little lead. But my opponent catches me. So I finish fourth in this Haute Route without any regrets, because I tried everything. I really had a lot of fun this week and thrived with a homogeneous adversity and group, which was really pleasant. I hadn’t experienced this type of experience this year, nor even in some editions. Next, I will share my daily race on this Haute Route Dolomites, over five days, with four stages and a time trial.

The rankings: here

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